Evaluation of Liposome Encapsulated Propolis Nanoparticles on Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in A375 Melanoma Cancer Cell Line

Abstract

Malignant melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, and its global incidence has increased in the last decades. Recent studies have shown that propolis has an antitumor effect against various types of cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Qazvin propolis nanoparticles encapsulated in liposomes on the A375 and HDF cell lines. For this purpose, the thin film hydration method was used to encapsulate nanopropolis within the liposomal formulation. Then, the physicochemical properties of the prepared liposomes were determined using DLS, FTIR, and SEM. In addition, the effects of this formulation on cell apoptosis, cell adhesion, cancer cell migration, and BAX, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3 gene expressions were evaluated using flow cytometry, atomic force microscopy, scratch, and q-real time PCR, respectively. According to the results, propolis nanoparticle-liposomes have a cytotoxic effect on the A375 cell line in a dose- and time-dependent manner through the induction of apoptosis, without having a toxic effect on the HDF cell line. The drug release results showed that more than 75% of the drug was released after 48 h at pH 5.4. The AFM and scratch analyses showed that Young's modulus and adhesion force values were increased. Therefore, this formulation significantly decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and increased the expression of BAX and Caspase-3 genes.